Patrizia Pezzoli

University College London | UCL · Division of Psychology and Language Sciences

Although biological factors may influence the risk of experiencing negative life events, the role of genes in the vulnerability to child victimization remains poorly understood. In a large population-based Finnish sample (N = 13,024), we retrospectively measured multiple experiences of child victimization and, in a subsample of twins (n = 9,562), w...

Objective: The role of negative parenting in the development of callous-unemotional (CU) traits remains unclear. Both negative parenting and CU traits are influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The authors used genetically informed longitudinal cross-lagged models to examine the extent to which reciprocal effects between negative parenti...

Antisocial behavior (ASB) refers to a set of behaviors that violate social norms and disregard the well-being and rights of others. In this review, we synthesize evidence from studies using genetically informed designs to investigate the genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences in ASB. We review evidence from studies using...

Childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization are major psychiatric risk factors. Maltreatment substantially increases the likelihood of subsequent IPV victimization, but what drives this association is poorly understood. We analyzed retrospective self-reports of maltreatment and IPV victimization in 12,794 participants (...

Childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization are major psychiatric risk factors. Maltreatment substantially increases the likelihood of subsequent IPV victimization, but what drives this association is poorly understood. We analyzed retrospective self-reports of maltreatment and IPV in 12794 participants (58% women, 42%...

Background: Improving inclusiveness in mental health research merits attention as we seek to reduce inequalities in mental health. Academic journals can promote inclusiveness through editorial practices related to the selection of content and the composition of journal editorial boards. Objectives: To investigate the attitudes, awareness, and actio...

Identifying early neurocognitive mechanisms that confer risk for mental health problems is one important avenue as we seek to develop successful early interventions. To date, however, we have limited understanding of the neurocognitive mechanisms involved in shaping mental health trajectories from childhood through young adulthood, and this constra...

Relative viewing times (VTs)—time required to view and evaluate sexually salient images—discriminate individuals with a sexual interest in children, as indirectly indexed by their history of sexual offending against children, from those without such history. In an online sample of 652 fathers, we measured VTs and sexual attraction ratings to child...

Reactive aggression in response to perceived threat or provocation is part of humans' adaptive behavioral repertoire. However, high levels of aggression can lead to the violation of social and legal norms. Understanding brain function in individuals with high levels of aggression as they process anger- and aggression-eliciting stimuli is critical f...

Background: While reactive aggression (in response to a perceived threat or provocation) is part of humans' adaptive behavioral repertoire, it can violate social and legal norms. Understanding brain function in individuals with high levels of reactive aggression as they process anger- and aggression-eliciting stimuli is critical for refining interv...

Background Psychopathic traits involve interpersonal manipulation, callous affect, erratic lifestyle, and antisocial behavior. Though adult psychopathic traits emerge from both genetic and environmental risk, no studies have examined etiologic associations between adult psychopathic traits and experiences of parenting in childhood, or the extent to...

Evidence shows that cognitive remediation therapy improves cognition in individuals with schizophrenia. However, its broader impact on patients' lives remains unclear. Furthermore, little is known about the motivational factors influencing treatment engagement. This quantitative and qualitative case series study identified factors that influence pa...

Background Individuals with major depressive disorder often experience cognitive deficits. Cognitive remediation (CR) is an intervention aimed at improving cognition in psychiatric disorders. However, its efficacy on global and specific domains of cognition in adults with depression requires systematic investigation. Further, given individual diffe...

Conventional longitudinal behavioral genetic models estimate the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to stability and change of traits and behaviors. Longitudinal models rarely explain the processes that generate observed differences between genetically and socially related individuals. We propose that exchanges between indiv...

Objectives: Individuals with pedophilic disorder (PD) experience personal and interpersonal difficulties and are at risk of sexually offending against children. As such, innovative and empirically validated treatments are needed. Recent studies have indicated that men who have sexually offended against children (SOC) with PD display an automatic a...

Conventional longitudinal behavioral genetic models estimate the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to stability and change of traits and behaviors. Longitudinal models rarely explain the processes that generate observed differences between genetically and socially related individuals. We propose that exchanges between peopl...

Objectives: Individuals with pedophilic disorder (PD) experience personal and interpersonal difficulties and are at risk of sexually offending against children. As such, innovative and empirically validated treatments are needed. Recent studies have indicated that men who have sexually offended against children (SOC) with PD display an automatic at...

The present thesis investigated the etiology and sequelae of interpersonal victimization in a large representative Finnish twin sample. Results indicated that genes, in addition to environmental vulnerabilities, explain why some individuals experience victimization more likely than others. This work also highlighted the perniciousness of childhood...

Despite the pervasiveness of adult sexual assault (ASA), evidence-based knowledge on the risk factors for sexual victimization is insufficient. Here, we investigated the etiology of ASA in a population-based Finnish twin sample. Specifically, we estimated the extent of the genetic and environmental influences on the risk of ASA, and we examined its...

Despite the pervasiveness of adult sexual assault (ASA), evidence-based knowledge on the risk factors for sexual victimization is insufficient. Here, we investigated the etiology of ASA in a population-based Finnish twin sample. Specifically, we estimated the extent of the genetic and environmental influences on the risk of ASA, and we examined its...

Although there are multiple forms of experiences of childhood maltreatment (CM), previous research has mainly focused on its different aspects separately. Possible genetic influences on these purportedly environmental causes of later psychopathology have also been largely overlooked. In a large population-based Finnish twin-sample, we investigated...

We identified a latent heritable factor explaining tendency to retrospectively report adverse childhood experiences, alongside a general latent factor of psychopathology. We observed a strong association between psychological abuse in childhood and internalizing psychopathology. Using a genetically informed design, we also investigated the directio...

Comorbidity challenges the notion of mental disorders as discrete categories. An increasing body of literature shows that symptoms cut across traditional diagnostic boundaries and interact in shaping the latent structure of psychopathology. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, we reveal the latent sources of covariation among nine me...

Background Solid evidence points towards dimensional conceptualizations of psychiatric disorders, emphasising the importance of latent factors to account for comorbidity among disorders and to provide additional clinical information to diagnostic thresholds. Therefore, continuous measures of psychopathology and factor analysis are high-potential in...

The autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) evaluates which of two contrasting autobiographical events is true for an individual on the basis of implicit associations and corresponding reaction times in classifying sentences. In this research, white lies and corresponding reasons to lie were investigated. White lies are social lies. They...